


Claire's Anatomy

by paula_fnds



Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 04:01:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30083163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paula_fnds/pseuds/paula_fnds
Summary: Claire only wanted to devote herself to her studies to finish her medical degree, but her best friend had other ideas. A party. One night. What possibly could happen that would be so interesting? From the looks of it, a lot of things!
Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser
Comments: 42
Kudos: 146





	Claire's Anatomy

**Author's Note:**

> I told you that I would be back! Now with an one shot that I wrote some time ago and I enjoyed a lot! I hope you like it too! The good news is that I already started to write the epilogue for "Friends With Benefits" and I hope to finish soon, so probably next week I will post! While this doesn't happen, you can enjoy this not so short one shot! 😁❤❤

I can't believe I had been convinced to go to a party during the first week of classes of the last semester, the last one! The most important one! But of course Geiliis didn't care about that, for her the welcoming party was one of the most important social events of her life. At least that week, since she attended all the parties at the university and outside of it. I still couldn't understand how she kept all her grades as high as I did, in fact this made me angrier than her dragging me to this damn party.

But now it was too late to argue with my best friend, we were inside the cab that would take us to the big shed away from the university, where the party was happening. They said it was a welcome party for the new students, but it was just another excuse for everyone to drink a lot and do stupid things. Don't judge me, I also like to have fun, I also like to drink once in a while, after all I am English. At least on my certificate.

I could consider myself a nomad, I lived in England for part of my childhood, but when my parents died in a car accident, my uncle came to my rescue and even though he wanted to raise me in the most traditional way possible, his profession took me all over the world. Uncle Lamb was an archaeologist who enjoyed exploring the world for historical discoveries. I can confess that at first I just wanted to go back to my house and lock myself in my room until my parents came back. But this was not possible and with time I realized that my uncle had the best of intentions, even if in a very different way.

Because our life was so different, my studies ended up being a little delayed, not that it was my dear uncle's fault, but because I always wanted to explore more and more of what this big world of ours had to offer. However, one day I realized that I wanted a home, a place to stay for more than a year, a place where I could put down roots, make strong and lasting friendships, and pursue the career that had always been my dream. Now how did I end up at the University of Edinburgh? Well, that's another story.

My Uncle Lamb had received an offer from Oxford University years ago. They wanted him to give lectures about his book to history students and any other students interested in Egyptian artifacts and their significance to the history of the ancient and modern world. I had never seen Lamb so excited about something in years! He was tired of traveling, sleeping in camps, and not being able to give me the education he wanted so badly. But it was something he never acknowledged directly to me, so this offer came as a great opportunity to finally have a home in the city where we were born.

Everything was great when we moved in. I started to take some classes to get the credits I needed to finally enter the university as a medical student. And on top of all this, I had a house, friends, and a boyfriend. Yes, that's right. Dating was not something I had planned when we returned to Oxford, but a history teacher who was a fan of Uncle Lamb had changed my mind. And it is because of him, Frank, that I am here, in Edinburgh, at a party I didn't want to be at. I guess you can see by now that dating has not been as successful as the rest of the things in my life, and so I decided to start over, from scratch, in a new country, a new city, and a new university. And this time without romance!

“Claire! Do I really have to drag ye out of the car?” Geillis said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“You already did that to get me out of the house, thank you.” I replied sarcastically.

I got out of the car and followed my friend to the entrance of the party. As angry as I was with Geillis for practically dragging me here, I couldn't deny that she was a great friend, even with her totally non-traditional way of friendship. She was the one who took me in when I arrived in Edinburgh without knowing anyone, but not that I had much choice, after all we were forced to share a small apartment that was provided by the university. She was the one who, in her impulsive and crazy way, pulled me out of the emotional hole I had buried myself in when I found out that Frank had cheated on me with half of the female population of Oxford. Well, I didn't know that, but that's what Geillis claimed after I told my sad story.

Funny that while I was thinking about what a great friend she was, I realized that she had left me alone at the party. I looked around and saw nothing of that long red hair around. Great! All I wanted was to be alone in a place where I knew no one and more than half the people were drunk. And that's when I made a decision, since I couldn't fight about it, I would join them. With resolute steps, I walked to the bar that was on the opposite side from where I was standing. When I arrived, I was lucky that it was a little empty and there was a vacant corner at the counter where I leaned until I was able to place my order.

“A shot of whisky, neat.” I said determinedly to the barman. He just winked at me and went to get what I had ordered.

When the glass was placed in front of me, I didn't think any more about it and drank it all at once. The liquid went down in flames and that only reminded me of why I didn't chug whisky or any other drink.

“Och lass! Ye are wasting precious liquid very quickly.”

The deep, accent laden voice came from my left. I took a deep breath, not yet drunk enough to face an annoying guy wanting something, but when I turned to see who the owner of that voice was, I regretted any negative thoughts I had had. He was tall, very tall, and even though I am not a short woman, I saw that I could fit perfectly into his arms. But what was I thinking? Probably his perfect smile, the eyes that I was sure were bright, even though I couldn't see with all those lights, and the hair...I never thought I would find a man with long hair so attractive, but on him it complemented his face so well with very masculine features, almost Viking-like. When one of the lights hit him directly in the face, I could see that he had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen, as well as the redness of his hair.

“Lass? Are ye all right?" he asked me with a smile still on his face.

I couldn't believe I had spent the last minute measuring that Scotsman from top to bottom and not said a word. Of course he was smiling, probably laughing at my silly face. Perfect Claire, now he must think you're crazy! But why was I worried about what he thought of me? And here we go again into another silence as I noticed how strong he was.

“Yes... I'm fine.” and that was all I managed to say before turning to the counter again and ordering another shot of whisky.

“Can I join ye this time? And maybe enjoy the whisky? Even if it's one of the worst I've ever had.” he said to me as he leaned beside me on the counter.

“Make yourself at home! I don't own the party or the counter.” my tone was a little more ironic than I had planned.

“A Sassenach... “

“Oh, and I thought you were a bit more polite than other Scotsmen I have met.” I said as soon as I heard the term he called me. I had heard that from several men before.

“Sorry Sasse...well, I dinna ken yer name yet and I just wanted to call ye in a way...”

“Offensive?”

“Ye ken that Sassenach just means English, in yer case, an outsider, and that's what ye are, aye?” he spoke with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, I knew he was doing everything he could to make me feel comfortable, and how did he manage it so easily?

“Of course I know, I mean, that I am, but...”

“Ye can tell me yer name, then we won't have any more problems with this term.”

I smiled as I heard his question, he really knew how to make a woman fall for his charms, and how well he knew, because he wouldn't even need all this to know my name. My God Claire, what is this Scot doing to you? Since when do you drool over a man you barely know? What about the promise of no romance in this new phase of your life? But who said he wanted romance?

“Claire, my name is Claire.” I said before I continued in my world of imagination, which had been danger for the last few minutes.

“Jamie.” he spoke as he raised his glass to meet mine. We toasted and silently drank our whisky.

I had never been shy to talk to people I didn't know, after all I had traveled all over the world with my uncle and was used to making friends with unknown people easily. But Jamie provoked things in me that I had never felt before, this shyness, this fear of saying the wrong thing and at the same time an urge to tell him about my whole life while admiring his wonderful smile. I was really lost with this man and now it was too late to run away from that party, my feet seemed to be stuck to the front of that counter while my mind kept warning me that it wouldn't work.

I decided that one more shot of whisky was what I needed to do something with my life at that moment. And so I did. Ten minutes later, Jamie and I were talking about my first impressions of Scotland and, of course, the Scots. Or was it just me talking? I didn't care anymore, the level of alcohol in my blood made me completely loose around that redhead. I loosened up so much that the next thing I knew, we were dancing, something I never, NEVER did in public. But being so close to that statuesque body made me have no regrets about that decision.

“Sassenach, I really want to kiss ye, may I?” Jamie spoke next to my ear, just as another song was ending. I felt a shiver run through my body and what answer did he expect to that question? Ever since we had gone dancing and our bodies had not been apart for a second, kissing Jamie was something that had not left my mind and hearing him ask me like that, my God, was he really real?

I nodded, the words had totally escaped me and I don't think I would even need them. Even while waiting for an answer, Jamie was already with his lips pressed against my neck, distributing soft kisses and leaving me totally surrendered to that Scot. When he felt that I had agreed to his request, his mouth moved slowly to my lips, which were already trembling with anticipation. It felt like I was a teenager waiting for my first kiss, but when it happened, it was a far cry from my first experience.

I never thought I would ever say this, but I was feeling like I was in a romantic movie, where the kiss between the main couple finally happens and everything falls into place. Not that I was in love with Jamie, but I had never kissed someone who made me feel everything I was feeling at that moment. I seemed to be in the clouds, but at the same time everything felt very real with his strong hands around my waist and his body pressing against mine in a way that I could tell how much he was enjoying it. My hands immediately went around his neck, into his hair that I had been wanting to run my hands through all night.

I was still lost in our kiss when I felt a nudge on my back and it was something not at all gentle. I knew it wasn't Jamie, since his hands remained firmly on my waist. With great difficulty I pulled away from him, thus ending our kiss in a rather abrupt way, which made him look at me suspiciously. But before I could explain myself, my friend Geillis appeared between us.

“And I was worried that I'd left ye alone...looks like ye've found some company, and a very good one.” she said as she looked Jamie up and down. “So I dinna have to worry that I'm leaving, with company too, of course, dinna expect me awake Claire Bear, not that I think ye'll notice my absence.” and winked at Jamie, but before she really left, she got close to my ear and whispered, "I didna know you had it in you...” and with a naughty laugh, walked away without letting me answer anything.

When we were alone again, so to speak, since the party was still quite full, Jamie looked at me and laughed. Geillis couldn't have made me more embarrassed, the alcohol coursing through my blood was fading after Jamie's kiss and I urgently needed my social relaxant. Sensing my sudden shyness, he took my hand and pulled me close to him.

“I'm thirsty, what do ye say we go to the bar?” the words whispered in my ear were due to the loud sound, but they provoked so many reactions that I could only nod my head in the affirmative.

We walked to the bar easily, but it was also easy with Jamie leading the way with all his size and height. His hand was warm and soft and easily covered mine. I was really feeling like a teenager next to that redhead and I couldn't even put all the blame on the drink, at least not at that moment. When we arrived at the counter where we had met, he hurriedly ordered our drinks and quickly leaned on it. Before I could go to his side, he pulled me between his legs and pulled me in for another kiss that took me totally by surprise. Was it bad? Not at all.

We were interrupted by a bartender not at all happy with our distraction at his call. Jamie took our glasses and again we drank silently, but it was a comfortable silence, especially since I was so close to his body. The loud music kept us from talking much, but it seemed that wasn't his idea either. After a few more kisses that left me breathless, I felt his mouth move closer to my ear.

“What do ye say we get out of here?” I wondered how I had never noticed how the Scottish accent could be so sexy. Or was it just Jamie's voice? I noticed that I had completely distracted myself from his question as soon as I felt his hands squeeze my waist as if they were asking for an answer, a confirmation.

I stepped back and stared into those blue eyes. Could I deny this request? It was clear that I couldn't, even before I saw the eminent desire present on his face. He smiled as I looked at him, and I knew that I was totally lost in the arms of that redhead. I nodded as I uttered the words that I couldn't believe were coming out of my mouth.

“I thought you would never ask....” and the smile I received in response made me forget about the butterflies in my stomach I was feeling.

Just as he had done before, Jamie took my hand and led the way out of the party. When we were finally outdoors, I could see that I was wrong about his beauty, he was practically a Greek god, he seemed to have been sculpted so perfectly. I already knew that his height and build was impressive, but now I could see how his long red hair stood out in the crowd. And to know that I had run my hand through those curls minutes before. I sighed as a pair of the most beautiful blue eyes were staring at me.

“Sassenach, my car is parked a little far from here, is it okay for ye to walk there with me?”

Yeah, apparently he wouldn't call me Claire, but I didn't care, I thought it was cute the way he said Sassenach. Oh God, it really didn't sound like I am 24 years old! I knew he had asked this question when he saw how big my heels were, and it was Geillis' fault that had convinced me to wear them. I didn't usually wear high heels, I was already a tall woman and that was often intimidating, plus I found them very uncomfortable. I think Jamie was also concerned about the lack of skill I showed in walking in them, but that was already due to the shots of whisky.

“Oh, no problem, I'm used to walking a lot!” I replied and soon proved him wrong, because I lost my balance and if it weren't for Jamie's skill, I would be face down on the floor.

“Whisky...” I heard him say as he helped me pull myself together.

“I didn't drink that much.” I tried to justify myself, but he interrupted me.

“It's not that, yer eyes...they are the color of whisky, the best kind of whisky.”

I smiled as I tried to accept his compliment. No one had ever talked about the color of my eyes, I always thought they were dull next to the many bright eyes that surrounded me. I knew that Jamie might be saying this just to get me into bed, something that wouldn't even require that much effort. It amazed me to think that I really wanted to go to bed with him without any resistance. But I could see in Jamie's eyes that he wasn't just saying that to please me. And since when can you see honesty in someone's eyes, Claire? Couldn't you see it in Frank's when he said things that never meant anything? I shook my head to try to ignore those feelings, this was no time to think about my worthless ex-boyfriend.

It didn't take as long to get to Jamie's car as I imagined it would, or did it, but I was distracted as I tried to imagine what we would do once we got somewhere, for that matter, where would we go? He hadn't mentioned anything, but I knew my apartment would be empty, Geillis made that clear. As I was thinking about how I would tell Jamie that we could go to my place, the sound of the car alarm brought my attention back to the redhead. I was amazed to see the car he had, a very imposing black Land Rover parked practically alone on that narrow street. What student could have such a car? A student with very rich parents, it seemed.

I decided not to question the financial situation of Jamie's family and got in the car as soon as he opened the door for me. Does this man really exist? I wasn't a woman who cared about such chivalry, but I can't deny that it was very nice to be treated that way, especially after finding out that the man you thought was a gentlemanly boyfriend, was in fact a compulsive liar and idiot. Focus Claire, let's get back to the red-haired giant sitting next to you. I looked at Jamie and he smiled as he started the car.

“I...Sassenach...” we both spoke at the same time and laughed. He nodded for me to speak first. “My house is nearby, in the buildings provided by the university, I think you know.” of course he did, and why was I so embarrassed? “My friend won't be there and I thought we could continue drinking, I don't have any whisky, but I do have some beer or whatever Geillis always buys” and there I was speaking a thousand words a second without breathing. I felt Jamie's hand touch my leg softly.

“Anything is fine, Sassenach, it's the company that matters and this one I ken will be great!” and there came another smile that gave me goose bumps all over.

I didn't need to show him the way, I saw that he knew how to navigate the streets of Edinburgh very well, and we soon arrived at my apartment. While we walked to my door, I kept doing a mental check of the whole situation: my room was ok, lingerie was ok, not the best I had, but it was still pretty, um, waxing? Ok too! Thanks to my friend who insisted, even though I said I didn't want to meet anyone and much less go to bed with him. Ironies of fate, aren't they Claire?

“Sassenach?” I heard the voice calling me and came back to reality. We were standing in front of my door, the last one in the corridor.

“Oh, sorry, I got distracted thinking about some things.” I felt him take my hand.

“Claire, if ye're not sure, I can leave.” he spoke sincerely, looking into my eyes.

It was the first time I had ever heard him speak my name, and the way he pronounced the R only made me more sure that I wanted that man in my house!

“If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have even gotten into your car!” I spoke with a confidence I had no idea where it came from.

He smiled as I finally opened the apartment door. I mentally thanked myself as I turned on the light that everything was in place in our small living room. When I thought about offering Jamie something to drink, he took me by the arms and pushed me against the wall. Our kiss was not gentle this time, nor did I want it to be. He seemed to want to dominate me with just his mouth and I was totally surrendered to whatever he wanted to do to me. I felt his body pressed mine against the wall more and more, without any room for me to breathe, but my hips began to move automatically in response to his increasingly intense approach.

His lips moved down to my neck and I tilted my head back to give him more access. I felt one of his hands go up my leg and under my dress, lifting it effortlessly. I could only let out small sighs and groans at his advances, but my hands were lost between his hair and the buttons of his shirt. I was distracted in my mission when I saw that he suddenly pulled away from my neck.

“Bedroom...” he stammered the word, his breathing labored.

I could only point to the door to the right of the corridor in front of us. He looked at me and I felt my skin burn with the intensity coming from those blue eyes that were dark with desire. I swallowed hard and in one swift motion, put my legs around his hips and, receiving a naughty smile in response, was carried to my room. He closed the door, even though he knew we were alone, I guess he was aware that my friend could return at any moment. I walked backwards until my legs hit my bed, he was looking at me deeply, seeming to undress me with just his eyes.

I did the same thing with my eyes and he smiled as I measured him up and down. I went to move closer to him, but before I could do what I was thinking, Jamie in just one step, got close to my body, but didn't make any kind of advance.

“What do ye want Sassenach?” he spoke with a hoarse voice and a piercing gaze.

I tried to speak, but the words seemed stuck in my throat. This had never happened to me before, but I had also never had the attention and desire of a man like Jamie. I tried to put my hands on his chest, but he grabbed them before I could get closer.

“I want to hear what ye want first...Sassenach...” he whispered the words in a way that was driving me crazy.

“I...want, I...” I tried to move my hands, but he was much stronger than I imagined.

“I?” he repeated and brought his mouth close to my face, making a caress that chilled me from my feet to my last hair.

“Fuck! Jamie, I want you, hell, I want you, okay?” I spoke in frustration as I heard him laughing in my ear.

“That's great!” and those were the last words I heard.

The next few seconds were of an intensity and violence I didn't know existed inside me. Our clothes were ripped from our bodies by any means necessary, no regard for buttons, zippers, or anything else. We were marking each other, as if we wanted to declare ownership of one another, even though we didn't know ourselves that well. That felt right, I had never felt so desired and wanted by a man like Jamie. His mouth ran all over my body, between licks and bites that drove me crazy, wanting me to get to the expected destination soon. With his teeth he pulled my panties off and my breathing stopped as he finally showed me all his talent with his tongue.

When I could finally open my eyes again, I felt a pair of blue eyes staring at me, just waiting for my command to do what I had wanted so badly since we entered that room.

“Jamie, I want you inside me, now, and don't be gentle.” I said as I pulled him on top of me, biting his shoulder to stifle my moans as I felt him do exactly what I had asked for.

His movements were fast and intense. He was reaching a place that I didn't even know existed inside me, but I could only thank my boldness in agreeing to everything that the redhead had proposed that night. My fingernails scratched his back as I tried to pull him closer to me, if that was even possible, but I never seemed to get enough of that man inside me. I could feel his altered breathing on me and knew that he was close, as was I, to climax. His teeth dug into my neck as I felt everything around me stop and my vision darken. Was it really possible to feel fireworks as they said in the movies? Well, I was feeling exactly that inside of me!

His body fell beside mine, totally exhausted just like me. As I tried to breathe, I felt him pulling me close to him, in an almost possessive hug, so strong. I couldn't help but smile, this man really was killing me.

“Sassenach...” he said, still breathless. “Ye...are...the death...of...me!” and I could feel the smile in his voice.

Yeah, so I wasn't the only one feeling it. I fell asleep without being able to answer him. When I opened my eyes again, it was because of incessant knocking on my bedroom door. I took a deep breath to look away and face Jamie, despite all the courage I had last night, it was totally gone now. But my fear vanished faster than I imagined when I saw that I was alone in my bed, was it all just a dream after I drank too much whiskey at the party? No, it was all too real, I hadn't drunk that much to imagine a man like that doing everything he did to me.

The knocks on the door continued, along with the insistent voice of my friend Geillis that reminded me of the damned lecture she wanted me to attend with her that morning. A lecture that I had no interest in at all, since it was about a residency program in plastic surgery by Dr. Montgomery, a famous surgeon at the Royal Infermary in Edinburgh.

“Claire! We're already late! I ken ye had a good night with that wee fox, but it's time for ye to pay me back for everything I've done for ye in our beautiful friendship!” my friend spoke loudly at my door.

Before I answered her anything, I wanted to find out what had happened to the redhead! I got out of bed and realized the obvious, I was naked. It wasn't a dream then, unless I really got carried away with it...no Claire, stop it. I stood in front of the mirror and saw that it really wasn't a dream. I had purple marks all over my body, and not only that, the teeth marks on my neck and inner thigh made it clear that Jamie had been there.

My dress from the night before was lying on the floor next to the bed, as was my lingerie. I soon realized that I wouldn't be wearing them again, just as Jamie probably wouldn't be wearing his shirt, as I found some of his buttons on the floor next to my dress. I smiled as I remembered all the things I had been brave enough to do with him, I had never been bold like that, but Jamie awakened a Claire I didn't know existed.

But I didn't have time to remember the sordid details of my evening, I had to get ready to go to that lecture, I wasn't willing to listen to Geillis' speech about how she was a great friend when I was totally heartbroken after discovering Frank's betrayals. And she always used that against me, always! As I was looking for an outfit to wear, I saw a piece of paper on top of my dresser and more than quickly picked it up to read.

"Sassenach, it was not my intention to leave without saying goodbye, but I had to go before anyone saw me leaving your building in a deplorable state...by the way, you owe me a shirt! J.A.M.M.F"

Oh my God, those were the initials of his name? Is it necessary to have so many of them? Ok, let's focus on the message...um, if I owe you a shirt, you owe me a dress too. But how am I going to pay my debt without knowing his phone number? I tried to ignore the feeling of loss that arose inside me and went to get ready. And what loss Claire? You met the guy yesterday! Of course you weren't going to marry him!

After finding an outfit that would hide as much as possible the marks left by Jamie, as well as a good layer of make-up, I went to meet my friend who was already waiting impatiently at the apartment door. We ran to the main auditorium of our department and I was grateful that I was late, so that I could escape any questioning from Geillis about the previous night. Of course, when we arrived, it was already packed and there were only seats available in the first row, where no one wanted to sit.

We settled in quickly and I had just time to grab my cell phone to take any kind of notes, which I know I would not do, before the speaker finally entered the auditorium. And it was at this moment that I was thankful to be seated, otherwise I was sure I would fall hard on the floor.

“Well, if it ain't the red fox from last night?” my friend made the observation more than obvious to me.

The speaker was not Dr. Montgomery, but Jamie! Was he Dr. Montgomery? No, of course not, I had seen the surgeon in several articles in medical journals. Could it be that he was just a student lost in the auditorium...of course not Claire! He was dressed all in white, wearing a lab coat with the same initials as the note he had left me. His long red hair was tied back with not a hair out of place. How could he look even more handsome?

I looked away and my friend was grinning like a fool as she watched my pitiful reaction to seeing the red-haired man on the stage. I wanted to stay for the rest of the lecture looking away, but my neck was already hurting and it would be ridiculous, he was seeing me there, it was impossible not to see! I slowly turned around and when I could face the stage from the front, I felt that pair of blue eyes staring at me with a totally naughty smile on his face. Damn him, he knew what he was doing to me and he looked pleased!

I spent the rest of the lecture trying to ignore Jamie's stares, but it was an almost impossible mission. I could hear very little of the details of what he was talking about, my concentration was on something else, I was trying my best to get all the impure thoughts from the night before out of my head every time I saw him gesturing with his hands. I remembered vividly how they had passed over my body, squeezed me...huh, that wasn't helping. His voice was also another distraction, all I could think about was him whispering Sassenach in my ear while he was inside me...I felt my face burn, even more so when I noticed him watching me again with a small smile on the corner of his mouth.

But why was he there? He was one of the surgeons on Dr. Montgomery's team and wanted to explain to the students what it was like to be part of that team, as well as how the residency program would work for those who chose to participate in the selection process. Now I knew how he could have a Land Rover... but how old could Jamie be? He didn't look any older than me, I was sure he was just a university student. As I tried to calculate the redhead's age, I felt Geillis nudge me, the lecture was over and I hadn't even noticed.

“Ye can thank me Claire, see, and ye didna even want to come, thinking it wasn't interesting to ye. But it seems it was much more interesting for ye than for me!”

I just looked at her seriously, there, one more thing for her to throw in my face. I got up and gathered my things to leave, but this didn't seem to be my friend's idea.

“No Geillis, I'm not going to talk to him, not here.” I spoke softly as she tried to pull me by the arm to the stage, where Jamie was surrounded by students who had come to ask questions about the program.

“Oh, so where? I am sure from the look on yer face when ye saw him that ye had no idea he was a doctor, let alone that ye would meet him again. So, stop running away and enjoy this little help from fate!”

“What fate Geillis? And who said he wanted to see me again?”

“He stared at ye the whole lecture! And I ken that look, he wants ye, and not just a little!” she said laughing and practically pushed me up the small stairway to the stage. Not expecting it, I tripped over the step and drew the attention of everyone. Great! Now there was no escape.

I waited for the few students who were still talking to him to leave the auditorium before doing something. Actually, I was hoping that something would happen and he would leave without talking to me. Bullshit, I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't know what he might say, how would he personally react to the night before?

“Sassenach?” his voice made me lift my head and stare at him. “I thought ye would leave without talking to me.” he spoke seriously, but soon cracked a smile.

“She wanted to, but I wouldn't let her!” Of course Geillis would intrude on our conversation.

He laughed louder and moved closer to me. I could only force a weak smile as I thought of ways to kill my best friend and control my stomach that felt like a madman turning itself inside out.

“Have ye come to collect on yer debt to me? I ken I owe ye a new dress.” he spoke very close to my ear, probably so that no one else would hear. Nobody, in this case, Geillis.

“How could you be so sure that you would meet me again to collect on a new shirt?” I spoke at once, surprised at my voice.

“Fate?” he said and I raised my eyebrows in amazement. He laughed. “Actually, when I was leaving yer house earlier today, I saw the flyer about my lecture on the kitchen counter, and I took my chances!”

“You were lucky, because I have no interest whatsoever in plastic surgery, and if it weren't for my more than insistent friend, I would have spent the morning sleeping...”

“See? Fate! And who knows, maybe I will be able to attract yer interest in my field...” he spoke as he took my hands, which warmed automatically at his touch. “What are ye doing tonight?”

“Study?” I said, lowering my head and looking at our entwined hands.

“On a Friday? And I thought I had been a very dedicated student... Well, I was thinking of taking ye out to dinner, I ken a very good pub near yer apartment. But if ye want to study...” the last words were whispered in my ear on purpose, he knew what this provoked in me.

“I ...” and nothing came out.

“She'll go out with ye, aye? And I'll thank ye if ye take a look at my resume that I just left on yer desk along with my application. I look forward to a future gratitude. Ye're welcome.” Geillis spoke up as she walked to the exit of the auditorium.

“I really like yer friend! Very direct!” he laughed. “So, 8PM tonight is good for ye?”

“Not that I can run away from that now...” I smiled as I stared at him for the first time since the beginning of our conversation.

We exchanged our numbers and I insisted that I would meet him directly at the pub. Why? Because I wanted to avoid being alone with him before our date, I knew it wouldn't work out and I wanted to know if we could do something besides sex. After all, I didn't even know what all those initials on his coat meant! He said goodbye to me with a long kiss on the cheek and I was not surprised to see several students waiting for him in the university hallway. Who wouldn't want a successful and handsome surgeon like him?

The rest of the day I spent listening to my friend bragging about how she had found me a great catch, as if she was the one who had put Jamie in my life. But was he in my life? We hadn't talked about anything serious, I knew nothing about his life, just as he knew nothing about mine. The only thing I knew we had in common was our love of medicine, oh, and sex, of course. I couldn't deny that I was looking forward to our date, but I was apprehensive. Jamie was handsome, intelligent, successful, and from what little I had seen the night before, a gentleman. He probably had women at his feet all the time, so why would he want anything serious with me? And was I ready for another relationship after all I had been through with Frank?

I decided that there was no point in thinking about the possibilities if I didn't go to this date and find out what Jamie was really interested in. In the middle of the afternoon he sent me a message confirming our date and giving me the address of the pub. I replied casually as if it was something normal, but Geillis did me the favor of taking the phone out of my hand and sending indecent emojis to him, who replied with a laugh. I thought about trying to repair the damage done, but in the end I laughed too.

I knew that I didn't need to dress to impress; after all, he had already seen me in a provocative dress, as well as without it. I didn't know if I still had anything that could draw his attention, so I ignored my friend's protests when she saw what I had chosen. I was wearing dark pants that fit me very well, a blouse with a slight neckline, and my usual leather jacket. It was not winter, but we were still in Scotland and a jacket was a must when going out at night.

I have always been a punctual person, but I ended up being late after spending more than an hour trying to tame my hair and putting on makeup that turned out to be nothing out of the ordinary. To help, it took me a while to find a cab and we hit traffic. On the way I texted Jamie to tell him that I was late and hoped he would see it right away, which didn't happen. When I arrived at the door of the pub, I could see the red hair near the bar counter, probably waiting for a table. I smiled and started to walk toward him, but something stopped me first.

He wasn't alone, a blonde was sitting next to him, in fact, she was practically on his lap, with her hands on his neck while laughing at something he had probably said. I couldn't take another step, neither forward nor backward, to leave the pub. No, this was not happening to me again! Again being cheated on by a blonde with perfect hair, eyes and body. But why did it seem to hurt more this time? I had nothing with Jamie, so theoretically he wasn't cheating on me, but he called me to come here, he wanted to see me again, him! Why do that only to go after someone else when I was a mere twenty minutes late? This just showed me that he was not the gentleman I thought he was the night before, he was just another man like all the others, worse, a man who knew he was handsome and could have any woman he wanted.

I decided that I would not waste my time with someone like that, I was not ready to go through a relationship like that again, where I was not valued and easily replaced. I finally managed to move and headed for the exit of the bar, but before I could reach the door, I felt my arm being pulled.

“Sassenach? Why are ye leaving? Didna ye hear me calling ye?” he said, sounding a little flustered.

“I guess I was distracted by your blonde's laughter, I mean, your company.” I answered trying to get free of his arm.

“Company? But I was waiting for ye! That blonde is Laoghaire, she is a friend of the family and...”

“Jamie, you don't owe me any explanations, we're not serious and it wouldn't work anyway...”

“But Sassenach... how? Why? Ye haven't even talked to me properly to ken if it would work out or not!” he said in an altered way.

“I can already see that you can have any woman at your feet, why would you want to be with just one? Our night was good, but I'm not that kind of...” but he interrupted me.

“Oh, so that's it? Ye saw me talking to a woman and now ye think that I go out and pick up all of them at any moment? Is that it? Why would I ask to go on a date with ye if I wanted to be with another woman? Won't ye even give me a chance to show who I am?”

“I don't think we should waste our time, I couldn't go through all this to be with you.”

I knew I was being unfair, but at the same time I saw how the women looked at him, I knew how charming he was, and who could say that he knew he would meet me at the lecture? What if he just took the opportunity to have another night of sex with me and then disappeared and go on to the next conquest? Without giving him time to say more, I walked quickly to the nearest cab. I could still hear him calling me, but I couldn't look back; if I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to leave.

When I got home, I ignored my cell phone that was ringing and vibrating non-stop with messages from Jamie. It would be easier this way, the less I listened to him, the better I would be able to forget him. I grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge and locked myself in my room to be at peace, without interrogations from my friend. The alcohol helped me to ignore the tears that insisted on falling as I remembered the night before, but it wasn't these memories that were the most painful, the betrayal I had suffered from Frank had done such a damage that I could be throwing away the chance of a relationship with a man who seemed perfect. How could I be so stupid? Why didn't I let him explain himself? Because you had already given Frank a chance and it didn't work out, I thought.

I spent the rest of the weekend ignoring my cell phone and my friend who insisted on knowing how I was doing. I focused on my studies to try to forget what had happened between me and Jamie, but it only got harder when reading about things that only reminded me of him. By Monday morning, the messages had stopped coming and Geillis had given up asking me what had happened at the pub, she was really trying hard to be a good friend and keep a healthy conversation between us.

We hurried to our class because Geillis had been late, again. The hallways were crowded and I couldn't understand why, after all, everyone was supposed to be inside the classrooms by now. As we were approaching our classroom, I saw that my friend had a silly smile on her face and couldn't understand why. What was she seeing that was so interesting that I couldn't see? But when I thought to ask, she pulled me by the arm, practically pushing the people in front of us. When I finally got to see what she wanted, my feet stopped moving and I was completely unresponsive.

Jamie was standing in front of the door to the classroom with a bouquet of roses in his hands and a nervous smile on his face. Now I understood the movement in the hallways, this didn't always happen at the university and much less with a doctor like Jamie that makes women sigh. My friend, seeing my utter astonishment, pushed me closer to the red-haired man who wasted no time in talking to me.

“Sassenach, I ken ye think ye're not ready for a relationship, and as much as I might want one day, I'm not here to ask ye to marry me.” he cracked a wide smile “What I want to ask ye is to trust me, to trust my intentions with ye. Claire, ever since our night together, I can't think of anything else but the brunette with the whisky-colored eyes and how I want to have her in my life every day.”

As he spoke, his face moved closer and closer to mine. I was breathing fast and couldn't hear anything else around me, I could only lose myself in the glow of those blue eyes that stared at me in a way I had never seen before. Jamie didn't wait for my response and kissed me intensely. I knew that everyone in the hallway was vibrating with the whole scene, but I didn't care, not even a little bit, what mattered to me was that that redhead was now mine and I wouldn't let anyone take him away from me.

_The End…_

“Great story Claire, but I just asked how you decided to become a plastic surgeon!”

“And that's what I answered! If I hadn't met Jamie, I would never have chosen this field! He showed me the possibilities I could have at the hospital, which is more than just a cosmetic procedure as many people think, here we help patients who have suffered major traumas to return to a normal life and feel good about themselves.” I explained to my best resident.

“Dinna fash Mary, she loves to tell this story to everyone, just to show that I made a great gesture in front of all the students and they still talk about it at the university.” Jamie said as he got up so we could get back to work.

“I have to show how romantic my husband is and that I won him over easily!” I laughed as I saw Jamie's annoyed expression.

“Of course, of all the women who fell at my feet, I chose ye, Sassenach.”

Before we knew it, Mary was already walking toward the exit of the cafeteria while laughing at our “argument”. The residents loved to tease Dr. Fraser about the whole grand gesture thing. But he didn't care, as he always told me, he would do it all over again just to have me by his side every day since. And I was eternally grateful for his insistence, without it I would not have become Dr. Claire Fraser, a plastic surgeon who is very proud to have such a wonderful man by my side.


End file.
